Fire escape apparatus

ABSTRACT

Fire escape apparatus comprising a tightly sealed shaft attached to a building wherein self-closing escape channels are provided to connect each floor of the building downwardly with the shaft, and a main exit is located at the bottom of the shaft with forced draft fan or natural up-draft opening being provided to maintain a higher pressure head in the shaft than that of the building to prevent fire from traveling through the escape channel and thus ensure safety pf the escaper.

1 51 Aug. 28, 1973 Lion [5 FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS 7364: 12/334 gallingerlag/41 1,0 ,28 2 aft 1 ..18 47 lnvemori shu-Lien Moll/Tammi Chma1,104,449 7/1914 Rosner 182/48 [73] Assignee: Chln-Chlh Chuang, Taiwan,China 2 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado 2] Filed. Mar. 17, 1972Attorney Moomay KOjima [2]] App]. No.: 235,559

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. Cl. 182/49 Fire escape apparatus comprising atightly sealed shaft 51 Int. Cl A62b 3/00 attached w a building whereinselfslosins escape [58] Fleld of Search 182/47, 48,49 channels areprovided to connect each fl r f the building downwardly with the shaft,and a main exit is 5 References (ted located at the bottom of the shaftwith forced draft fan or natural up-draft opening being provided tomaintain UNITED STATES PATENTS a higher pressure head in the shaft thanthat of the 2:32;? building to prevent fire from traveling through theescape channel and thus ensure safety pf the escaper.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG. 3

- Patented Au 28,- 1973 3,754,621

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS BACKGROUNDOF INVENTION The conventional fire escape in a building is usually anescape stairway or ladder provided at an emergency exit on each floor.Because of the exit opening, flames usually can get to the escapers.Another kind of tire escape is located in the center of a building withchimney like construction. Such a construction has been found toaccelerate fires by providing an easy path therefor. In none of theprior art fire escapes, is escape safe.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention is a novel fire escape apparatuscomprising a tightly sealed vertical shaft attached to a building withstairs and platforms provided therein. At least one self closing escapechannel having ladders or chutes, is provided to connect each floor ofthe building downwardly with the shaft. To prevent fire from gettinginto the channel or shaft, a higher pressure is maintained in the escapeshaft and channel, thus ensuring safety of the escapers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 depicts a top view of anillustrative embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a partial front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts a partial cut-a-way side view of the embodiment of FIG.1;

FIG. 4, depicts another illustrative embodiment of this inventionshowing a forced draft channel; and

FIG. 5 depicts a partial front view of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 depicts a pictorial view of an illustrative embodiment showing aninclined chute and fan means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning to FIGS. 1 through3, there are depicted a tightly sealed shaft 1! attached to building 1.Stairways 2 and platforms 2' and 2" are located within the shaft 1. Mainexit 3 is located at the bottom of shaftl'. Channel 6 connects eachfloor of the building 1 to a lower floorviaopening 6, which isnormallyhorizontally disposed, and to corresponding platform 2' viavertical opening 8. Doors 5 and 7 are provided at openings 6 and 8, asshown. The doors may be opened outwardly, or swing biased, to keep themin a normally closed condition, thereby ensuring air tightness. Channel6' may be vertical and straight, or inclined, to pass through a onefloor depth, or to pass through more than a one floor depth. Whenchannel 6' is vertical and straight it is equipped with ladders 9, asdepicted. When channel 6' is inclined, a sliding chute may be providedtherein. Emergency exit opening 6 is usually located at the end ofcorridor 10 in building 1.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the same embodiment elements are shownbearing the same numeral designations, except in addition, there isattached to shaft 1', an auxiliary channel 11, which is alsoverticallydisposed. Openings 13, with inwardly swinging biased doors,provide therein, are provided between shaft 1' and auxiliary channel 11,to enable natural draft to enter shaft 1 Alternatively, a forced draftfan may be provided at the bottom opening 12 of auxiliary channel 11 tobuild a higher pressure in shaft 1 than in building 1. Thus, there wouldbe no opportunity for fire to build up and travel from the building tothe channel 6' and shaft 1' through opening 6. Also, door 5 will checkthe fire.

FIG. 6 depicts pictorially the embodiment of the invention. Also, analternative sliding chute 9' is shown for use in escaping from one floorto the next lower floor. Also, fan B00 is shown for providing forceddraft.

To escape a fire in building 1, people will procede to the end ofcorridor 10, enter into channel 6' through door 6, climb or glide downchannel 6' (depending upon whether there is a ladder or slide) to reachopening 8, and procede through door 7 to platform 2' on the lower floor.Thereafter, they may easily walk down stairs 2 to platform 2", andthrough main exit 3 to the outside. The escape is made safely andrapidly.

Fire fighting personnel may utilize the channel 6 as a hiding place. Bylifting the door 5, he can easily apply the fire extinguisher or waterhose nozzle aimed toward the corridor. Because of the positive pressuremaintained in the channel 6, fire in the corridor or building would havethe least possibility of licking back to the channel.

The walls of escape channel 6' and of shaft 1' and the walls of building1 adjacent thereto should be of fireproof material. Lighting facilitiesmay be installed in shaft 1' and channel 6'.

The foregoing description is intended to illustrate the invention andnot to limit it. Any alternative, variation, or modification thereof,made without departing from the spirit of the invention, should beconsidered to be within the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus enabling safe escape from a building having a plurality offloors, comprising a substantially sealed vertically disposed shaft at-'tached to said building, said shaft having disposed therein a pluralityof stairs and a plurality of platforms, some of said platforms locatedsubstantially about the height of said floors, and an exit located atthe bottom of said shaft;

at least one channel adjacent said shaft, said channel having at leastone horizontally disposed door located on each floor, and means fortraveling downwardly from one floor to a lower floor; and verticallydisposed doors located at selected floors for egressing from saidchannel to said platform corresponding to said lower floor. 7 2.Apparatus of claim I, wherein said channel is of a vertical straighttype with a ladder therein and extending at least one floor depth.

3. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said horizontally disposed door, saidvertically door, and said exit in said shaft are normally closed toensure air tightness.

4. Apparatus of claim .1, further comprising an auxiliary verticallydisposed channel attached to said shaft, said auxiliary channel havingopenings between it and said shaft with one way swing check doorsprovided to allow draft into said shaft.

5. Apparatus of claim 4, wherein an opening is provided at the bottom ofsaid auxiliary shaft to provide one floor depth.

1. Apparatus enabling safe escape from a building having a plurality offloors, comprising a substantially sealed vertically disposed shaftattached to said building, said shaft having disposed therein aplurality of stairs and a plurality of platforms, some of said platformslocated substantially about the height of said floors, and an exitlocated at the bottom of said shaft; at least one channel adjacent saidshaft, said channel having at least one horizontally disposed doorlocated on each floor, and means for traveling downwardly from one floorto a lower floor; and vertically disposed doors located at selectedfloors for egressing from said channel to said platform corresponding tosaid lower floor.
 2. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said channel is of avertical straight type with a ladder therein and extending at least onefloor depth.
 3. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said horizontally disposeddoor, said vertically door, and said exit in said shaft are normallyclosed to ensure air tightness.
 4. Apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising an auxiliary vertically disposed channel attached to saidshaft, said auxiliary channel having openings between it and said shaftwith one way swing check doors provided to allow draft into said shaft.5. Apparatus of claim 4, wherein an opening is provided at the bottom ofsaid auxiliary shaft to provide natural draft or forced draft into saidauxiliary channel and through said openings between it and said shaft,into said shaft.
 6. Apparatus of claim 5, wherein a fan is provided atthe bottom of said auxiliary channel to provide forced draft. 7.Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said channel is of an inclined type with asliding chute and extending at least one floor depth.